Justin Bieber concert memorable, at the very least

Erik Leijon, Special to The Gazette12.21.2012

Justin Bieber singles out a fan during his performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop royalty, Justin Bieber, who put out his third studio album called 'Believe' in June of this year performs at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber and dancers at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Avril Lavigne and Justin Bieber are 12th cousins, according to Ancestry.com. They share common relatives Mathurin Roy and Marguerite Bire, the researchers said. Both were born in France in the early 1600s, married in 1637, and moved to Quebec, where Roy worked as a master mason.john kenney
/ montreal gazette

18-year-old pop superstar Justin Bieber, who put out his third studio album called 'Believe' in June of this year performs at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Ontario native Justin Bieber wows his fans during his performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber looks back to fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber sings with passion to his fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Hands reach out to Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber and some of his dancers strut during the pop king's show at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Fans go crazy for Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

18-year-old pop superstar Justin Bieber can still flash the boyish smile. He performed at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Justin Bieber 'makes a point' during his performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber high-steps it during his performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Not a boy to be seen as 18-year-old pop superstar Justin Bieber performs at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber 'floats in' on some musical wings to start his performance at the Bell Centre in Montreal Monday, November 26, 2012.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

MONTREAL - No one knows what the future will have in store for pop music's current alpha and omega Justin Bieber, but for a fleeting moment surrounded by 17,800 hormonally confused pubescents whipped into a deafening frenzy, longevity in the music business seemed overrated.

That may be a strange thing to suggest given Bieber's sold out Monday nighter at the Bell Centre came not long after successful returns to the stage for veteran music heavyweights Bob Dylan, The Who and Neil Young. Based on Bieber's tentative dance moves, his parachute pants and quivering vibrato, he might not be destined for a graceful slide into his golden years, but again, the fanatical devotion the diminutive Stratford, Ontario native was able to instill in his supporters (I refuse to acknowledge them by their popularized portmanteau) prior to even stepping on stage was an achievement he can forever hang his hat on. Longevity's great, but providing singular jaw dropping moments remains pop's bread and butter, and the ridiculous fervour that preceded Bieber's grand entrance was memorable at the very least.

The hour and forty minute set that followed the concussive greeting mostly involved trotting out post-Michael Jackson pop tropes. There was the obligatory inclusion of a space motif (in addition to other costume changes), as well as the awkward attempt at appearing homespun with a pair of acoustic numbers, and Bieber even brought a terrified female fan on stage for some light G-rated touching during a puppy love-espousing number. Admittedly though, Bieber descending onto the stage as a steel Daedalus was delightfully pompous, and few would have expected him to unleash his inner Neil Peart with a drum solo at the end of "Beauty & A Beat."

Unfortunately, his oppressively loud backing band (with a few click tracks as well) made his already weak singing voice an even more glaring issue. He was inaudible at times, while on other occasions he would be buoyed by either his energetic turntable-operating hypeman or an obvious overdub. One song in particular, "Never Say Never," was reduced to a monolithic slab of white noise. In these instances, it helped to have an arena of screaming, unconditional fans to drown out the misses, as well as a dozen dancers to divert attention.

In what could be considered a sign that Bieber is developing as an artist, his older numbers, many of which were lumped into a forgettable early medley, sounded horribly dated compared to the majority of cuts from his second album, Believe. The aforementioned "Beauty & A Beat," was a punchy, party-friendly highlight, while his best known song, "Baby," was an excruciating reminder of just how much his vocals have changed (oddly, he seemed more comfortable doing Ludacris' rapping cameo).

The opening acts performed yeoman's work amid antsy chatter and aborted Justin chants. UK quintet The Wanted are the rare boy band that doesn't dance, making them essentially half an act, while Carly Rae Jepsen of "Call Me Maybe" infamy performed her hit song and seemed grateful for the opportunity.

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